Meet the Staff

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Rebecca Beaton, Ph.D.

 Institute Founder & Director

 Licensed Psychologist

 770.953.0080 Ext. 1, drbeaton@stresssmgt.net

 

 

 

 

Institute Vision: 

   

Dr. Beaton is the Founder and Director of The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute. It has been a life-long dream of hers to develop a comprehensive facility where people could be treated as a whole person (body, mind, and soul) by mental and physical health professionals who utilize state of the art, research-based treatment modalities. It is rare to find a facility where one feels nurtured on a holistic level, yet all of the providers are well-grounded in science and also experts in their respective fields. Not only has The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute become such a place, it has also developed into a teaching Institute where other professionals come to learn from the Institute's staff and acquire continuing education credits. Most importantly, Dr. Beaton feels that what sets The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute apart from other clinics, is not only that the clinicians are well-trained, but that each clinician becomes invested in each and every client and truly cares about the client's wellbeing.

Training and Professional Experience:

Dr. Beaton did her undergraduate work at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her doctoral degree is in Counseling Psychology from Georgia State University. She is a Licensed Psychologist (#2789), a Licensed Professional Counselor (#2564), and a Nationally Board Certified Counselor (#41067). She is also a Nationally Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist (N.B.C.C.H. #2202) and has been awarded a Diplomat in Clinical Hypnotherapy.

Dr. Beaton has provided psychotherapy for adults and adolescents in a variety of settings since 1991. These settings included: The Anxiety Disorders Institute of Atlanta, the University of Georgia and Georgia State University Counseling Centers, Georgia Baptist Hospital (Stress Management for Physician's Program), Grady Memorial Hospital (Rape Crisis Center), the Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders, and Lockheed Aeronautical System's Employee Assistance Program. She has also been an adjunct professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Georgia State University.

Additionally, Dr. Beaton was awarded the Georgia Counselor Educator of the Year Award from the Licensed Professional Counselor's Association of Georgia in 2005. She was also on the Board of Directors for the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia for two years. She held the position of Ethics Chair, which entailed enforcing the ethics code of the counseling profession as well as promoting the education of other Licensed Professional Counselors in the state of Georgia regarding ethics. Dr. Beaton is a member of the American Psychological Association (member #7442-5397) and the American Counseling Association (member #05106569).

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Alan Behrman, Ph.D.

THRIVE Program Director, Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Behrman is a licensed psychologist in both Georgia and Alabama.  He was trained at the University of Pittsburgh as an eating disorder specialist and has continued this specialty in both Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA.  It was at the University of Pittsburgh where he received his original training in eating disorders.  He was the first male psychologist in the counseling center to specialize in this field.  He saw clients on an individual basis as well as performing initial evaluations for the eating disorder groups that he co-led.  His groups contained a mixture of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder and were highly successful.  From there he moved to Birmingham, AL where he continued to specialize in the field and become one the most successful psychologists in Birmingham, AL both as a general practitioner and as an eating disorder specialist.  He saw clients both in the hospital setting and in his outpatient office where his success rate based on client report was over 90%.  Dr. Behrman has continued to hone his skills in the field of eating disorders and is now the director of the eating disorder clinic at one of Atlanta’s finest and most well-respected psychological entities – The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute.  Dr. Behrman was not satisfied in merely overseeing and directing this program.  He is an active co-leader in many of the groups, an individual therapist for many of the eating disorder clinic clients, and continues to stay up-to-date on the latest in research and treatment options. 

 

Dr. Behrman left his thriving private practice in Birmingham, Alabama to pursue his career further at The Anxiety and Stress Management Institute.  He sees a wide range of psychological disorders and issues including anxiety and stress, coping skills, personality disorders, anger management, and other issues surrounded around individuals (age fourteen and up), couples, and families, whereupon he can, if needed, administer psychological testing.  While his specialty is sport psychology (5 years with Auburn University and now a consultant with the Georgia Tech Athletic Department) and eating disorders, the majority of his practice consists of non-athletes and dealing with non-athletic issues and concerns.  Therapy is primarily cognitive-behavioral with a focus on understanding the source of the problem and helping people deal with and overcome those problems as quickly as possible.  Rapport and results are Dr. Behrman’s strong suits as well as a very wide knowledge base in many areas of psychological distress.

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Christina Hall, Psy.D.

Post-Doctoral Intern

Dr. Hall obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.  She then went on to earn her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University (formerly known as California School of Professional Psychology) in San Francisco, California.  She completed an APA approved pre-doctoral internship program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, Louisiana and is currently working at The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute in Atlanta, GA.  Dr. Hall is a member of the Georgia

                                              Psychological Association.

 

Dr. Hall has had extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which addresses a person’s thoughts and behaviors about eating and self image, and focuses on emotional regulation. She is also versed in Interpersonal Therapy, which helps a person face and heal rifts in current relationships, and has received training in Exposure Therapy, which is used to reduce body image related anxiety and avoidance. Research suggests that both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy are the most effective tools in treating not only EDO symptoms, but the underlying issues such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.  Dr. Hall has a strong commitment to her clients and strives to provide a safe and open environment where individuals can support one another with their goals and develop healthy coping skills.  She also utilizes Family Therapy, and Group Therapy in her practice.  In particular, Family Therapy is used to increase parenting skills and help family members support their loved ones by returning control of eating back to the client.

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Hilary Delman, M.S., LAPC, NCC

Licensed Associate Professional Counselor

Hilary Delman is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor and proud to be a part of The Anxiety and Stress Management Institute as a Counselor and Community Liaison. 

  

Hilary recognizes how different each client is and tailors therapy to the client's needs.  Hilary believes strongly in the Client-Centered, Humanistic approach and believes the therapeutic relationship is of utmost importance in the therapeutic process.  Hilary uses an integrated approach in therapy through Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques to explore thought processes and behaviors, Strength-based techniques to help clients recognize and utilize their strong points, Systems Theory to look at the way family dynamics have shaped a client's way of being in the world, and Motivational Interviewing techniques to explore the internal conflict in one's life. Hilary feels that part of the therapeutic process is to find tools and skills that clients can use in their everyday lives to help overcome obstacles.  Examples include positive self-talk, thought-stopping, reality testing, and stress management and reduction exercises. 

 

In addition to individual counseling, Hilary co-leads ANAD (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) every Tuesday night from 7-8pm at The Anxiety and Stress Management Institute. ANAD is a free support group open to the community for those suffering from an eating disorder and those with loved ones suffering from an eating disorder.

 

Hilary’s extensive experience comes from working individually with clients, families, and facilitating psycho-educational groups, process groups, vocational groups, substance abuse groups, social skills groups, and women's support groups. While working at a private non-profit treatment center, Hilary was responsible for the development of the Body Image group which she facilitated.

 

Hilary received her Bachelor's of Science in Mass Communications and Communication Studies from Towson University, located just outside of Baltimore, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000.  After working in public relations and management, she obtained her Master's of Science in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University in May 2005. 

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Meghan Toups, M.S., LAPC

Licensed Associate Professional Counselor

 Meghan Klein, M.S. received her undergraduate degree in  

 psychology from Loyola University New Orleans, and later

 earned her Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from

 Georgia State University. Meghan completed her internship at

 The Anxiety and Stress Management Institute, as well as the

 YWCA of Northwest Georgia. She is a Licensed Associate

 Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor.

 

 Meghan has received extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral  

 Therapy (CBT), which is based on modifying everyday thoughts

 and beliefs in order to promote positive emotions, especially in

 regards to body image and self-esteem. Meghan continues to stay up-to-date on the latest treatment of eating disorder and consistently receives continuing education and training in specific areas of eating disorders, body image, eating issues, etc. as well as the treatment of those issues.  Meghan works with both individuals and families in therapy and a combination of them both are often essential for recovery from an eating disorder.  

 

Meghan works to create a supportive, nurturing and safe space for her clients, in order to promote the greatest amount of personal growth and empowerment.  This is important to Meghan as she believes empowerment is key to improving self-esteem and self-image.  In improving these two aspects, an individual with an eating disorder has taken a significant step toward recovery.

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Chris Riddell, M.D.

Psychiatric Consultant

As Medical Director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at WellStar, Dr. Riddell ensures the service and care he provides is world-class.  Dr. Riddell is not only a private practice psychiatrist specializing in mood disorders, he also serves as a clinical liaison at WellStar Cobb, WellStar Kennestone and WellStar Windy Hill hospitals, where he provides medication management with supportive therapy.  A graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Riddell earned his Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.   He completed his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

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Christina Miner, M.S.

Christina Miner, M.S. is a clinical intern at The Anxiety & Stress Management Institute. She received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan College in Macon, GA. Chris completed a Master's degree in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology from Emory University.  Her research focused on Interpersonal Relationships, Narrative and Trauma. She is currently a graduate student and research assistant in the Department of Counseling at Georgia State University.

 

Chris's clinical experience includes empowerment-based work with women as well as adventure-based, outdoor therapy with adults and adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She utilizes a strengths-based approach to therapy incorporating both constructivist and cognitive-behavioral models. Chris's professional interests include eating disorders, women's issues, trauma and post-traumatic growth, and the use of creativity and narrative in the healing process.